Code Snippets

PHP Snippets

Short answers to problems PHP has had for years, written for the version you are actually running rather than the one in the old blog post.

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Everything in PHP Snippets

  • Diagram: fgetcsv reading one row at a time, beside file() hitting the memory limit on the same file.

    09/02/2026

    Reading a huge CSV in PHP without exhausting memory

    file() and str_getcsv on a large export will hit the memory limit. Streaming it with fgetcsv uses a few kilobytes regardless of file size, and handles quoted newlines correctly.

  • Converting PNG and JPG Images to WebP

    08/23/2025

    Convert PNG and JPEG to WebP with a PHP script

    A short GD script that converts a folder to WebP, preserves PNG transparency, and - the part usually missing - keeps the original whenever the WebP comes out larger, which happens more than you would think.

  • Rendering Twig from Symfony Repositories Without DI

    07/04/2019

    Rendering a Twig template outside a controller

    You do not need a controller to render Twig, and you should not pass the container around to get at it. Inject the Environment, and use createTemplate when the template itself comes from the database.

  • Diagram: a passing check on $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] beside a failing check on isset($_POST['agree']), an unticked checkbox that a browser never sends.

    12/28/2015

    Checking whether a form was posted, in PHP

    Testing for a field is the common way and it is wrong: a browser sends nothing at all for an unticked checkbox, so the form looks unsubmitted. Test the method instead.

  • Diagram: a single apiCall(url, method, data) function branching into a GET and a POST request, both landing on the same JSON response.

    12/26/2015

    A simple cURL wrapper for calling any API

    Since you likely interface with a lot of external APIs, there’s no need to keep rewriting the same tool. Just copy this and use the “apiBaseController” class as you need it.

  • Diagram: three passing requirements for a PHP redirect, an absolute URL, an exit after it and no prior output, above a failing example under a headers-already-sent error.

    03/15/2014

    Redirect a webpage with PHP

    Three lines, and three ways to get it wrong: output before the header, no exit after it, and a 301 the browser then caches forever. Which status you choose matters more than the code does.